Chapter 7

I just turned a page in my book, dismissing her completely. She stood there for another moment, waiting, but my eyes never left the page. Finally, she broke the silence. "Rannie, if you don't mind me asking... you and Mr. Charlotte have been married for ten years. Why have you never had a child?"

The word "child" hit me like a punch to the gut. A sharp, searing pain shot through my chest.

That evening, when Wright came home, I couldn't stop myself. I looked at him directly and asked, "Wright, are you still not prepared to become a father?"

He went completely still. His face hardened, clouded with a sudden discomfort. He set his whiskey glass down on the table with a careful, deliberate motion, his eyes avoiding mine.

"Why are you asking me this now?" His voice was ice.

His reaction was all the answer I needed. "It's nothing. Forget I said it."